Sled-brake



H. A. ROWE.

SLED BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1918.

1,3 ,7 5, v Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

' HARLEY A. ROWE, OF BRANDON, VERMONT.

SLED-BRAKE.

: -Application filed November l, 1918. Serial No. 260,691.

To a-llwhomitma-ycoacern: j

Be it knownthat IQHARLEY A. ROWE, :a; citizen of the United States,residing at Brandon, in the county of Rutland and State of Vermont, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Sled- Brake, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in sleds and has for itsprimary object to provide a simple and eflicient brake struc-- ture forsleds wherein the brake shoes are supported in such manner as to afforda wide range of adjustment to vary the'braking 7 effect thereof.

Among the other. aims and objects of the present invention may berecited the provision of a device of the above mentioned characterwherein the number of parts are 7 few, the construction s mple, the costof production lowand the efficiency comparatively high.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features, scope ofthis invention will be more readily apparent from. the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims, forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the device applied to a'sled, only aportion of which latter is shown,

Fig. 2 isa side elevation showing the device arranged in an inactiveposition,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 inthe direction in which the arrows. point, theteeth being shown by dottedlines in an operative ground engaging position,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational detail of the operating means,

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of one of the teeth,

gig. 6 is anotherdetail view of the same, an

Fig. 7 is a perspective detail of the outer section of one of the teeth.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the'abovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now, more particularly, to the accompanying drawings there isillustrated a sled including front and rear bolsters 1 and 2 connectedby a reach-bar 3 while swingably suspended by a suitable connectingmeans 4 beneath the rear bolster are rear Specification ofLetters-Patent. Patenfed Aug, 1921, I

runners 5. The runners are connected by} cross braces 6 held inposition-by suitable fastening means 7 while the braces also areconnected bylongitudinal bars 8 to which the connecting means 4 isfastened. At the outset, it is to be understood that the particularconstruction of the sled forms no essential part of the invention, beingmerely illustrated and described in orderthat a thorough andcomprehensive understanding of the device may be obtained.

With' a view toward the provision of the improved combination roadsmoother and brake, bearing brackets 9' are secured to the undersurfaces of the top bars of the runners as at 10 "being arranged inopposed relation with respect toeach other while rockably supported inthese bearings is a shaft 11 to sectional teeth generally indicated bythe numeral 12. l p I Each tooth is composed of sections 13 and 14formed preferably of spring steel, the section 13 being desirably curvedlongitudinally while the inner end'is reversely'and abruptly curved asat 15 and fastened to the shaft 11 by suitable fasteners, such as a nutandbolt arrangement 16. The outer section or brake shoe leis formed ofsuitable metal, and is detachably connected to the outer L portion ofthe section 13 by a suitable fastening device such as a nut and boltarrangement 17. This section 14; is also formed near its inner end withopposed flanges 18 designed to abut the adjacent side edges of thesection 13 and cooperate. with the fastening device, hence preventinsidewise movement of the section 14; relative to the section 13. Thedetachable fastening of course permits of the replacing of anoutersection 14 when one has become worn or unfit for furtheruse. m

- As intimated, improved resilient means has been employed for normallyholding the teeth in an inactive position and for automaticallyreturning the teeth to an inactive position when the operating means isreleased. In reducing this feature of the invention to practice, an arm19 projects from the shaft preferably near one end thereof, whileconnected to the outer end of the shaft is one end of a coiledcontractile spring 20, the opposite end of which is connected to asuitable retainer such as a screw-eye 21, anchored in one of the crossbraces 6 and this 5 which are connected'in seriesa plurality of the arm22 and consequently the teeth in a raised'or inactive position.

For the purpose of moving the teeth into ground engaging position,improved operating means has been provided, in the present instanceconsisting of an arm 22 which is rigid with and projects from the shaftpref? erably which the arm 19 is carried. its lower end pivotedas at 24to the inner surface, of the lower portion ably arranged for swingingmovement in a slot 25 provided between the runner and the ad acentlongltudinal bar 8. In operably connecting the lever-23 and the arm 22,a

link 26 is employed, the respective ends be-f ing pivoted as by pins 27to the medial portion of thelever 23 and to the outer end of whichlatter is preferably arranged at an inclination toward the lever asindicated in Fig.2.

while projecting at right angles from the longitudinal axis of the shaftand integral with the shaft, is an arm 30. Suitable connecting means,such as a flexible element or chain 81 1s now-employed, the respectiveends being connected to the upper end of the lever as at 32 and to theupper end of the arm 30, while that portion of the chain immediatelyadjacent the arm 30 is arranged through a transverse opening 33 toinsure of the proper operation thereof. The outer end of the shaft 28 isbent to form a crank and provides a foot pedal 34,- normally positionedin 7 an upright position and in proximity to the driver of, the sled sothat when it'is desired to move the teethinto braking position it isonly necessary to depress this'foot pedal to rock the shaft 28 and exerta forward pull on the chain 31. This causes a forward swinging movementof the lever 23 and as the latter is connected with the arm 22 on link26, the arm 22 will be moved forwardly and downwardly, rocking the shaftand at the same time bringing the teeth 12 into ground engaging positionfor smoothing and levelingthe road over which the sled or other vehicletravels and at the same time acting as a brake therefor.

from the end opposite to that on A lever 23 has of one of the runners 5while the upper portion is mov A shaft 28 is roekably supportedrinbearings 29 on the front bolster" the shaft by means :of the ingdescription, that a further detailed description of the operation of theinvention is entirely unnecessary. Likewise it is believed that theadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent.

Still further embodiments of the invention than those herein especiallydefined, may be resorted to as conditions or preference may dictate, asmay be in keeping with the hereto appended claims. i p

Having thusfully described the invention, what is claimed as new, anddesired to be secured byLetters Patent, is: I g

1. A combined road leveler and brake including a rockablefsh'aft, roadengaging teeth extending from said shaft and composed of curved flatspring steel strips,jresilient means coacting with the shaft fornormally holding the teeth in raised inactive position, and means forrocking the shaft against the tension of the resilient means to move theteeth into road engaging position whereby said teeth may operate both asabrake and as a road leveler operating when sufficient pressure isapplied to flex so asto bring the flat underfaces of the shoesintoengagement with the roadway.

2. A brake attachment for sleds comprising a rotatable shaft, fiatspring steel teeth on the shaft, the shaft engaging ends of thelongitudinally with one end abruptly and reversely curved to fitsaidshafnoneofsaid sections having opposed rightangnlarly dis posed sideflanges at itsmeetingend toreceive between them the end of the othersec. tion, bolts connecting said sections and means for securing saidabruptly curved ends to said shaft,

In testimony hereto.

HARLEY A. ROWE.

whereof I affix my'signature

